Orders were given by General Hull for the evacuation of Fort Learborn on Lake Michigan; and a small detachment of sixty-six of his men, with thirty Miami Indians, were attacked on their march to Detroit by a superior force of Indian warriors, by whom thirty were killed, and the rest made prisoners.

The easy surrender of Hull's army, with the forts and territory of Michigan, excited strong suspicions of treachery; and exertions were made to retrieve this disaster, by establishing a naval force upon the lakes. A brig of sixteen guns on Lake Ontario, was the only American vessel of war on these waters. The trading vessels of the lakes were purchased by government, fitted out as war vessels, and manned with experienced

seamen.

On the night of the 8th of October two British armed brigs, the Detroit and Caledonia, which had anchored under the guns of Fort Erie, were taken possession of by 100 men, one half of whom were sailors, the other half were regular troops. The Detroit, formerly the United States brig Adams, carrying six guns, was laden with military stores, and had on board sixty seamen and thirty American prisoners.

The Caledonia, belonging to the North-Western Company, was laden with peltry valued at 150,000 dollars; she mounted two guns, had twelve men on board, besides ten American prisoners.

In this bold enterprise, conducted by Lieutenant Elliot and Captain Nathaniel Towson of the second regiment of artillery, only two Americans were killed, and four wounded.

This successful attempt stimulated the troops on the Niagara frontier, consisting of about 4000 men, who, under the command of General Van Rensselaer, embarked in boats at Lewiston for the Canada shore, under the cover of their guns.

The landing having been effected by a select body of 100 men, under the command of Colonels Christie and Van Rensselaer, reinforced by regular troops under the command of Colonel Fenwick, the rest of the troops were put on shore without resistance. They carried the forts, and gained the heights at the point of the bayonet; though the greatest part of the militia, being panic-struck by the Indian yells and war-hoop, and by the reinforcements then coming in view from Fort George, refused to disembark. At length the boatmen abandoned their oars, and the troops who had landed, after having twice repulsed the British from the heights, were forced to surrender with the loss of more than 1000 men. The British general Brock was killed in this affair, and his aid-de-camp mortally wounded.

Another expedition against Canada was confided to General Smyth, who had instructions to sail from Buffaloe,at the head of the Niagara river, with a force of not less than 3000 men; but not more than 2000 could be procured. The expedition was therefore abandoned, and the troops retired into winter quarters.

The American General Harrison marched from Lewisville with 2500 men, and arrived at Fort Wayne the 12th of September, from which the hostile Indians

made a sudden retreat; but not being able for want of supplies to proceed immediately to Detroit, he occu pied himself in driving the Miami and Pottowatami tribes from the borders of the rivers Wabash and St Joseph.

In the meantime General Winchester arrived at Fort Wayne with additional reinforcements from Kentucky; and on the 23d of September he marched with 2000 men, 400 of whom were regulars, through a difficult and uninhabited country, to Fort Defiance. General Harrison proceeded in the meantime to Fort St Mary's, in order to forward a detachment with supplies of ammunition and stores by the river Glaise. This army, from the depth and roughness of the ground, was unable to advance more than ten miles daily. On the 4th of October he arrived with the left wing of the army at Fort Defiance, which had for some time been occupied by the British and Indians, who immediately, however, retreated down the river. The right wing, consisting of two brigades of militia, was stationed at Sandusky, and the other, formed of a regiment of regulars and the Ohio volunteers and militia, was ordered to Fort Arthur under the command of General Tupper.

On the 13th of December, an American detachment, under the command of this general, consisting of 2000 men, marched to the rapids of the Miami, and on the east side of this river they encountered a body of 300 British regulars, and 600 or 700 Indians, who, after an obstinate resistance, retreated.

In the mean time, several American expeditions were successfully undertaken against the Indian settlements in the Indiana and Illinois territories, and also on the American borders to the south.

In the beginning of January 1813, General Winchester, with the force under his command, proceeded down the Miami river, from Fort Defiance to the rapids, and 950 men, whom he sent to protect the inhabitants of Frenchtown from Indian violence, met an English and Indian force of 400 or 500 men, which was repulsed, after a bloody engagement of several hours.

The American army approached Detroit, and Colonel Proctor, who commanded there, advanced to meet them, with 1500 men, and, after a short, but severe conflict, the American general, Winchester, was made prisoner, and procured a capitulation, (the 27th of January,) which put an end to all resistance on the part of General Harrison, who was then near the rapids with 700 men. He retreated to Carrying river; and in February advanced to the rapids, where he constructed a fort, named Fort Meigs, which resisted the attack of General Proctor, with 1000 or 1200 Indians.

During the great part of the winter, the two armies were separated by the ice, which was not sufficiently strong for the transportation of artillery; and no important event took place until the 22d of February, when the British crossed the St Lawrence and captured Ogdensburg.

About the middle of April Lake Ontario became

navigable, and General Dearborne, with 1700 troops, embarked at Sackett's Harbour, and sailed thence on the 25th, for the invasion of Canada. They were disembarked on the 27th, near York, the capital of Upper Canada, which they took possession of by storm, after an obstinate defence; but General Pike, * who commanded the assault, did not long survive his wellearned laurels. Soon after he had entered the town, a powder magazine took fire, and in the explosion, that brave officer, with thirty-eight of his men, were killed, and many more severely wounded. The British were repulsed by the American army of the centre, and Fort George taken, with a loss of thirty killed, and 111 wounded. That of the British was 103 killed, and 278 prisoners.

The English blew up their magazines at Fort George and Lake Erie, and retreated along the mountain road, towards the head of Lake Ontario; and General Dearborne, in hopes of cutting off their retreat, detached Generals Winder and Chandler, who were unexpectedly attacked and made prisoners, with several of their officers, and 180 men. The American troops evacuated Fort Erie, and retired, under cover of the shipping, to Fort George.

On the 28th of May, Sir George Prevost, with a band of 1000 men, transported in open boats, from Kingston, made an unsuccessful attack on Sackett's Harbour, in which the British loss is stated to have

* The same person who made an expedition to the sources of some of the great rivers of Louisiana.